Cloth-cutter.



s. J. NoPPEn. CLOTH CUTTER.

(Application filed Apr. 3, 1901;)

Patented Nov. I2, |90I.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheetr I.

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G. J. NPPER. 1

CLOTH CUTTER.

(Application med Apr. 3. 1901.) (N0` Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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' UNITEDv STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE J. NorPER, OFBLTIMORE, MARYLAND.

CLOTH-CUTTR.

SPECIFICATIN forming vpart of L ettersratnt No. 686,529, dated November12, 1901.

Application nei April s, '1901.

To allv whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE J. NOPPER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invent ed certainnew and useful Improvements in Cloth-Cutters, of which the following isa specification. i

This invention relates to improvements in cloth-cutting machines of thatclass in which the machine has a reciprocating knife actuated byelectric motors and which is moved or shifted-by the operator over thetable supporting the layers of cloth to be cut so that the said knifewill cut the layers of cloth along the desired outlines.

The object of the invention is to provide a clothcutting machine of thischaracter which will operate at a high rate of speed with littlevibration, which will impart a direct vertical reciprocating motiontothe cloth-cutting knife, and 'which` will be balanced on the standardprojecting upwardly from its baseplate, so that the machine may beeasily and accurately shifted by the operator over the table supportingthe layers of cloth to be cut.

The invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements, andcombinations of the parts hereinafter fully described and claimed,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 isafront elevation of my improved cloth-cutting machine. Fig. 2 is aV sideelevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the machine. Fig. 4; isavfvertical transverse section taken approximately on the ,line 4 4 ofFig. 1. Fig. 5 is a side, elevation of the lower portion of themachineas seen from the side opposite to that shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is ahorizontal sectional view taken approximately on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4.Fig. 7 is a detail view illustrating the antifriction devices for thevertically-reciprocating crosshead which carries the knife-holder. i

Referring to the drawingsthe letter A designates a horizontalvbase-plate provided on its under sidewith rollers d, bywhich it issupported to move over a cloth-supporting table, and also provided witha beveled edge ct', adapted totake under thelayers of cloth, so that thelatter will ride up on the upper surface of said base-plate and comeinto con- Seral No. 54,119. (No model.)

tact with the vertically-reciprocating clothcutting knife b.

From the center of said base-plate A rises a vertical standard B,slotted,as at b', at its front edge and which forms 55 a guide for thesaid cloth-cutting knife. A v:

casing C is rigidly secured to the upper end of said standard andextends above the same in approximate vertical alinement therewith andis provided oneach of two opposite sides 6o with a vertical guideway c'and is also provided at its front with two forwardly-extending verticalspaced apart guide plates c2. Two horizontal bracket-arms D are rigidlysecured to said casing, and each of said arms projects laterally fromone of those sides of the casing in which the guideways are 1ocated. Anelectric motor E is supported Von the outer end of each bracket-arm,said two motors being of equal weight and equidistant 7o from saidstandard and casing, whereby the machine is accurately balanced, as bestindicated in Figs. l and 3.

The axes c of the two motors E extend horizontally'in alinement witheach other and 75 are provided on eachof their inner or adjacent endswith a crank d. The said cranks are balanced by segments e. A crank-pinf connects the two cranks, and by this arrangement'the said twomotor-axes are practically 8o converted into one main horizontaldrivingshaft provided with a double crank whose pin f is locateddirectly over the casing() and at the vertical center of the machine.Connected to said crank-pinf by a pitman-box g is the upper end of avertical pitman h, which extends down into the casing C and whose lowerend is connected to the upper end of a verticallyreciprocatingcross-head. t'. The

Vsaid cross-head is provided at its upper and 9o lower ends with twopairs of oppositely-extending stub-shafts t', on which are j ournaledantifriction-rollers ft2, as shown in Fig. 7, mountedl tomove in thevertical guideways c of the casing C, and a knife-holdenj projectsforwardly from4 said cross-head and is moved thereby up and down betweenthe two spaced-apart guide-plates c2 of said casing. ln this instancethe said knife-holder is an integral part of the cross-head; but it'ismaniroo fest that it may be riveted or otherwise secured thereto.

One of the vertical guide-plates c2 is pro-y vided on its inner sidewith a vertical recess la, and the adjacent side of the knife-holderj isalso provided with a vertical recess 7c', as shown in Fig. 3, and thecloth-cutting knife b [its in a slotted standard B and between thevguide-plates c`2 and is provided with an upper forked or slotted end Z,entering between the said two recesses 7c 71; and rigidly but adjustablyattached to the sliding knife-holder j by a clamping-screw m, whereby itwill slide up and down with the said holder and may be adjustedvertically when desired with respect to the latter.

In order to keep the layers ot' cloth that are being cut by theVertically-reciprocating knife from being raised by the same during itsrapid upward movements, I have provided a guard comprising a verticallongitudinally-slotted shank n, secured at any desired verticaladjustment to the outer side of one ofthe guideplates c2 by aclamping-screw o, and a toe 79, which is rigidly attached to the lowerend of said shank and projects forwardly alongside of the knife b andcurves upwardly beyond the front vertical edge of the latter, said toebeing provided with a spur q, which extends laterally across the frontedge of the knife and thence rearwardly, as shown bestin Fig. 6. 'Ihesaid guard is adjusted vertically above the upper surface of thebase-plate A, accord ing to the height or combined thickness of thelayers of cloth intended to be cut and which lie upon said base-plateand pass under said guard as the machine is moved forwardly. The guardprevents the cloth from being raised by the rapid upward movements ofthe knife.

The driving crank-shaft of the machine is covered by a part-cylindricalhood r, which extends from one motor-casing to the other and preventslint and dust from settling on the shaft and other adjacent interiorparts. Said hood is provided at its top with an opening s, through whichoil may be introduced to the various working parts, and a plate t isdetachably secured to the hood and normally covers said opening.

The machine may be guided over the surface of the cloth-supporting tableby a handle u, secured to the cover-plate t at the top of the machine,or by another handle fU, secured to the rear of the machine, as shownbest in Figs. 2 and 4.

In practice the operator starts the motors' and grasps either of thehandles uA or yt' and moves the machine over the cutting-table on whichthe layers of cloth are supported, causing the latter to rise up on thebase-plate A and into contact with the knife b, which is verticallyreciprocated by the horizontal crank-shaft, cross-head z', and pitman h.It is obvious that the crank-shaft may be rotated by either one of theelectric motors instead of both if it is desired to cut but a few layersof cloth.

It will be seen that the cloth-cutting inachine hereinbefore describedis provided with electric motors which accurately balance the machine,that the arrangement of hori- Zontal crank-shaft with its centralbalanced double crank gives a direct vertical reciprocation to the knifeat the center of the machine, thereby avoiding vibration and increasingthe stability and durability of machine, and that the arrangement ofcross-head t with its antifriction-rollers working in guideways in thecasing C enables the machine to run smoothly and reduces friction of theworking parts.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A cloth-cutting machine comprising a base-plate a verticalstandardsecured to said base-plate; a casing secured to said standard andextending above the latter and provided with two oppositely-extendin gbracket-arms a motor secured on each bracket-arm, a'nd provided withhorizontal axes alined with each other; a double crank connecting theadjacent ends of said axes; a cross head mounted in said casing andcarrying a knifeholder; a pitman connected to-said crank and also tosaid cross-head; and a cloth-cutting knife secured to said knife-holderand reciprocated thereby vertically in said standard.

2. A cloth-cutting machine, comprising a baseplate; a Vertical slottedstandard secured to said base-plate; a casing supported on said standardand extending above the same in vertical alinement therewith, andprovided with two oppositely-vertical guideways and twoforwardly-extending spacedapart guide-plates a horizontal driving-shaftmounted above said casing and provided with a crank directly above thelatter; a verticallyreciprocating cross -head in said casing and havinga pitman connection with said crank, said cross-head being provided withantifriction-rollers mounted on the cross-head and reciprocating up anddown in said guideways, and said cross-head also provided with aforwardly-projecting knife-holder fitted between said guide-plates; anda cloth-cutting knife rigidly secured to said knife-holder andreciprocated thereby in said slotted standard, as set forth.

3. A cloth-cutting machine, comprising a base-plate; a vertical slottedstandard secured to said baseplate; a vertical casing supported on saidstandard and extending above the same in vertical alinement therewith,and provided with two forwardly-ex tending vertical spaced-apartguide-plates; two oppositely-extending bracket-arms rigidly secured tosaid casing; a motor secured on each bracket-arm and said motors beingequidistant from said casing and standard and provided with horizontalaxes alined with each other; a double crank connecting the adjacent endsof said axes and located di- IDO IIO

reetly above said casing; a verticaily-reoip- In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature rocating cross-head in said casing and having in thepresence of two witnesses. a pitman connection with said double crank;

a knife-holder rigid with said cross-head and GEORGE J' NOPPER' 5 ttedbetween said guide-plates; and a oloth- Witnesses:

cutting knife rigidly secured to said knife- F. S. STITT,

holder. CHARLES L. VIETSCH.

